Reversing a position of not commenting on any disciplinary actions involving students, the Thompson School District on Wednesday refuted a mother's claim that her 7-year-old son was suspended from school for throwing an imaginary grenade.

District spokesman Mike Hausmann said the district had been toeing a thin line in responding to numerous media requests about the incident and adhering to federal guidelines for student privacy.

Mandie Watkins said she received a phone call from Mary Blair Elementary principal Valerie Lara-Black on Friday afternoon, informing her that her second-grade son, Alex Evans, had been suspended for throwing an imaginary grenade during recess on the playground.

"He was not suspended for having an imaginary weapon," Hausmann said. "The district itself has never expelled or suspended a student for having an imaginary weapon."

On Tuesday, the district pointed to a list of "absolutes" from Mary Blair Elementary, which Superintendent Stan Scheer said is an enhancement of the district's general school of conduct. Those absolutes include no weapons, real or play, and that a third violation of absolutes constitutes a formal suspension.

Hausmann said he was unable to comment on the specifics of the suspension itself, citing the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) through the U.S. Department of Education.

"This is a much more complicated issue than has been portrayed," Hausmann said.

But Watkins, who had a meeting Wednesday with Lara-Black and Director of Elementary Education Paul Bankes to discuss the suspension, maintains that the principal told her Friday that the suspension was due to the imaginary grenade.

During Wednesday's meeting, Watkins alleges that Lara-Black changed her story, saying that Alex had been throwing rocks on the playground and that adult and students had provided accounts to that effect. When Watkins asked to see such statements, she says they were not provided to her.

When Watkins asked Alex about the incident last week, she says he told her essentially what Lara-Black relayed: He threw the pretend grenade at an imaginary box that had something evil inside.

Watkins said she asked her son again on Wednesday what happened and if he had thrown rocks. He maintains he was just trying to save the world from evil with the imaginary weapon.

"My son's story has not changed even once," Watkins said. "(The school has) been very inconsistent in my opinion. Honestly, my son has been the most consistent person in this situation."

The local advocacy group Liberty Watch released a statement on Wednesday chastising the district for not adhering to their own discipline rules. In the district's discipline code, a section "classroom removal/suspension/expulsion/denial of admission," calls for an informal hearing and disciplinary notice.

Hausmann said there was due process in the disciplinary action.

"The community is already frustrated with the lack of transparency and accountability in the district and this situation highlights the resistance of the administration to be open and honest with the community," Liberty Watch director Nancy Rumfelt said in a statement.

According to Watkins, the school never notified her about any violent or threatening behavior from Alex, but on Wednesday, Lara-Black reportedly cited emails that the teacher had sent to Watkins about such behavior. Watkins says it's untrue, and was not provided with copies of the alleged emails.

Watkins plans to formally remove Alex as well as her fourth-grade daughter from Mary Blair Elementary. She is waiting for copies of her children's records, which have not yet been provided by the school.

Despite removing her kids from Mary Blair, Watkins is still hoping that the school changes their "absolutes" policy and Liberty Watch has also called on the district to review the list, saying that the absolutes punish imagination and creativity.

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